Pre-Ib Geography Exam Review Essay Example for Free

Pre-Ib Geography Exam Review Essay Angular Bearing: measured in degrees in a clockwise direction from the north; written as 3 figures (i. e. 90) * Military Grid (4 amp; 6 digit) * System of numbered lines; position stated by quoting numbers of the lines that intersect at the point in question * Easting Northing ; EAST TENTH NORTH TENTH * Contour line: a way of showing elevation; usually brown lines * Steep areas – very close contour lines, gentle areas – very wide contour lines * Latitude/Longitude * Latitude 0 °: Equator|23. 5 °N: Tropic of Cancer | 23.  ° S: Tropic of Capricorn * Longitude 0 °: Prime Meridian | 180 °: International Date Line * Scale different types; conversions Linear Scale| Representative Fraction Scale| Direct Statement Scale| * | * 1:50 000| * 1 cm to 10 km| * 1 km = 100 000 cm * Time Zones – know them amp; how to calculate time zone from one zone to another * From west – east: Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, Atlantic, Newfoundland * Plus 1 hour, as y ou travel from west to east Global Positioning System (GPS) – what is it? How do you use it? * Revolutionary navigation system; provide location with metres or less anywhere on the globe * Canada Map: Unit 3 * Geologic time-line (eras amp; major developments in each) * Precambrian Era: the earth is formed; Canadian shield is formed; bacteria amp; algae – only life forms * Paleozoic Era: the continents straddle the equator; first insects appear; Pangaea is formed * Mesozoic Era: Dinosaurs rule the earth; first bird amp; mammals appear * Cenozoic Era: Dinosaurs go extinct; first Hominids appear; first humans reach North America * Continental Drift amp; Plate Tectonics * Continental drift (Alfred Wegener): 300 million years ago, all of the earth’s land masses, which were in constant motion, collided to form one supercontinent: Pangaea; could not explain how continents moved * Evidence: shape of the continents; Fossil Evidence; Rock Evidence; Glacial Deposits; Location of Coal Deposits * Plate tectonics (Canadian J. Tuzo. Wilson): the earth’s crust is divided into 12 major plates which moved in various directions by the underlaying hot mantle convection cells (mid-atlantic ridge) * Types of precipitations – Relief/Orographic precipitation; Cyclonic/Frontal precipitation; Convectional precipitation * Relief/Orographic precipitation: only in mountainous regions * Moist air rise up the windward slope amp; condenses as it rises amp; cools * Cool air descends on the leeward slope, warms up, drier climate because the clouds evaporate * Cyclonic/Frontal precipitation: only in places with hot summers +20 °C (continental areas) * The sun heats up the ground, warm air rises; condensing amp; forming clouds amp; precipitation. * As the storm persists, the air cools amp; drags down, bringing the storm to an end. * Convectional precipitation: happens in most places * Air masses of different pressure amp; temperatures don’t mix. * The warmer air will rise above the colder, dense one, creating precipitation. Gradual upward movement=mild precipitation; Sharp upward movement=thunderstorm, hail * Landforms: the natural features on the surface of the Earth (Canadian Shield, lowlands, highlands) What are they? | Development of landforms| How do they or will they contribute to Canada| Canadian Shield (largest amp; oldest landform region)PRECAMBRIAN| * Pressure inside Earth folded amp; crumpled the Metamorphic rock * Minerals in shield rock cooled amp; separated into layers according to their density * Intense heat amp; pressure changed the rocks * Erosion worn down mountains = flat * Ice age eroded amp; created lakes, depressions amp; valleys| * Not much farming thin layer of soil; little fertile land * Vast deposits of lead, gold, nickel, copper, zinc, etc. Mining communities drawn here; communities rely on the mining industry for jobs * Rich diamond deposits; Water for hydroelectric energy * Recreation, tourism, â€Å"get back to nature†, canoe| Appalachian Mountains (oldest highland region)PALEOZOIC| * End Paleozoic Era, North America collided with europe amp; northern Africa during the formation of Pangaea * Raised amp; folded layers of sedimentary, Igneous/metamorphic created from volcanoes amp; earthquake s * Erosion reduced jagged peaks to rounded hills amp; mountains * Glaciers smoothed peaks amp; separated hills with wide glacial valleys | * Sedimentary rich in non-metallic materials, i. e. coal * Igneous/Metamorphic rich in metallic minerals, i. e. iron amp; zinc created by volcanic activity amp; faulting * Long bays created from ice age, for deep harbours for ocean freighters amp; became site of major cities * Settlement along fertile river valleys amp; along seacoast| Innuitian Mountains (most northern region)MESOZOIC| * Formed in Mesozoic era; North American plate moved northward. Continental-continental convergence * Contain some igneous amp; metamorphic, but mainly sedimentary * Younger than Appalachians, not worn down as much| * Barren; trees can’t survive extremely cold winter temperatures; can’t grow during short summer * Covered by ice amp; permanent snow * Minerals not exploited because if remote location| Western CordilleraLATE MESOZOICEARLYCENOZOICCoast mountainsInterior plateausEastern Mountains| * Range after range of mountains separated by plateaus amp; valleys * Pacific plate amp; North American plate collided * Uplifting region into several mountain regions * Convergent; pacific plate subducted under North American causing folding, faulting, amp; volcanic activity * Great height + rugged appearance = geologically young| * North-south mountains amp; valleys = obstacle for transportation since main routes are west=south * Farming amp; mining towns in river valleys * Tourism(beautiful scenery); winter sports * Fishing(salmon); gold rush; energy resources * Copper, forestry, rocks, coal, fossil fuels| Interior PlainsPALEOZOIC + MESOZOICAlberta PlainsSaskatchewan PlainsManitoba Plains| * 545 million years ago; during formation, covered by inland seas, sediments deposited amp; compressed into sedimentary * Thick layers of mineral deposits left in dried-out sea beds * Composed of rolling hills amp; deep, wide river valleys * Differential erosion separated by escarpment * Glaciations created large lakes covered by sediments = flat| * Reafs from inland seas form oil amp; gas found today * Potash mined amp; used as fertilizer * Swamps at edge of ancient seas changed into coal * Soil developed on sediments of lake bottom deep fertile, good for growing grai ns amp; oil seeds * Agricultural amp; beef products | Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Lowlands(most southerly region)PALEOZOIC| * During Paleozoic era, glacier retreated which left 5 great lakes * Bedrock formed from sedimentary rock; several escarpments * Glaciations created rolling landscape, carried huge amounts of soil, sand amp; gravel from Canadian shield, dumped throughout region * Flat plains, glacial hills, amp; deep river valleys * Rift valley formed by faulting; flooded during end of ice age| * Good for agriculture; excellent soils amp; warm climate * Flat lands; ideal for transportation routes amp; development of cities (50% of canadians live in small) * 70% of country’s manufacturing industries * Maple syrup, forestry, mining, fishery, water supply, * Sheep, poultry, dairy, logging – lumber, paper| Hudson Bay Arctic LowlandsPALEOZOIC + PRECAMBRIAN + MESOZOIC PALEOZOIC + CENOZOIC| * Layers of sedimentary rock rest on top of ancient rock of Shield * Waters of Hudson Bay covered lowland amp; deposited sand, silt, amp; clay that became layer of sedimentary rock * A series of islands located in far north, gently rolling landscape * Bodies of water continues to deposit deep basins of sedimentary along east amp; west coasts (Paleozoic era) * Receding glaciers left sedimentary rock (Cenozoic)| * HB- mining, march, wetlands, plains * AL-Not good for farming, harsh climate * Rich in furs due to abundance of wildlife * Water resources provide hydro power for Ontario * Contain lignite, coal, oil, amp; natural deposits * Game, fishing| * Climate: weather conditions of a place averaged over a long period of time * Factors affecting Climate (LOWERN) * Latitude: Significant differences in average annual temperatures; distance from the equator a key factor. * The same amount of energy from the sun that hits Earth is spread over a large areas at northerly ocation because of th earth’s curve; the same amount of energy is more concentrated at the equator * Most southerly pointPelee Island; Most northerly pointAlert * Ocean Currents: The temperature of an ocean current affects the temperature of the air passing over it. * Warm– warm air – the mild climate of B. C. ; Cold– cold air – Labrador amp; nor thern Newfoundland * Where air above two currents meet, conditions are often damp amp; foggy. * Winds amp; Air Masses * Air Masses: large volume of air with the climate conditions of the area where it is formed. * Over ocean moist; as air masses pass over land=in precipitation; over continental area will generally be dry. * Winds amp; Pressure Systems * Air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, this causes wind. Prevailing Winds: around the earth, there are pressure belts which cause wind patterns. * Westerlies: over Canada, the winds tends to move from the west to east . * Polar Front: the boundary between the cold, dry, polar air amp; warm, wet, tropical air. * Jet Stream: high in the atmosphere above the polar front is a current of fast-moving air. * In winter=moves southward, cold arctic air into the U. S. * In summer=moves northward, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico to flow farther northward into Canada’s interior. * Cold air masses amp; warm air masses that meet at the polar front often create storms. * Elevation: height of land above sea level Air mass moves up a mountain= expands since there is less pressure; as it expands=loses heat amp; becomes cooler. * Relief: the affect that mountain ranges act as barriers to climate systems * Result in greatly differing temperatures in different cities that are close to each other but separated by mountains. * Windward side of rocky mountains=more precipitation; leeward side of rocky mountains= precipitation. * Nearness to body of water: Bodies of water have a moderating effect on land temperatures. * Oceans amp; large lakes heat up amp; cool down more slowly than land masses. * Results in cooler summers amp; warmer winters. * Maritime vs. Continental climate * Maritime| * Continental| Total annual precipitation of over 1000 mm| * Total annual precipitation of less than 1000 mm| * A temperature range of less than 25C °| * A temperature range of more than 25C °| * Winter: Season of Maximum Precipitation| * Summer: Season of Maximum Precipitation| * Soil make-up (MOMA) * Minerals; Organic material amp; bacteria; Moisture; Air * Vegetation * Tree line: boundary between the Tundra amp; the Boreal Forest zone; North of this line, it is too cold for trees to grow. * Permafrost: permanently frozen ground that does not completely thaw in the summer. * Active layer: upper layer of permafrost that thaws only briefly in summertime Unit 4 Demography: study of human population dynamics, population numbers, distribution, trends, amp; issues that looks at how populations change over time due to births, deaths, migration amp; ageing. * Push/pull factors – what are they? Be able to identify them * Push factors: factors that causes people to emigrate from their country (i. e. war, absence of human rights, poor economic/educational opportunities, religious persecution, terrorism, amp; natural disasters) * Pull factors: factors that draws immigrants to a country (i. e. job opportunities, freedom of speech amp; religion, lower taxes, better education amp; health care, better climate, join friends/relatives living in another country ) * Immigration – benefits amp; drawbacks Benefits| Drawbacks| Declining fertility amp; population=severe labour shortages; * Fiscal burden of aging population; scarce staff-nursing homes amp; retirement facilities * Replace baby boomers jobs; fill jobs Canadians don’t want; temporary jobs during harvest time * High-skilled-innovate higher rate than canadians; low-skilled- meet crucial service sector gaps * More global prosperity than foreign aid/international trade; revolutionize Canada’s foreign aid policy| * Short term expediency; political gain * Stress on schools to take in new students * Little cultural communities formed * Lack of culture belonging * Competition for jobs of Canadians| * Types of immigrants (3 types) * Economic Immigrants Skilled Worker/ Professional: 67 points (government adjust; make sure immigrants meet Canada’s economic needs) * Business Immigrant: 37 points (show willingness/ability-make significant financial contributions to economy) * Family Immigrants (Allows Canadian residents to reunite with family members) * Every family immigrant must be sponsored by relative in Canada (provide housing amp; other needs for 3-10 years, if immigrant runs into financial difficulty, they need to help them) * Refugee (Apply for refugee status while in Canada as visitors/living in home country) * Fears cruel or inhumane treatment in their home country ( persecution-race, religion, nationality, political opinion) * Special category includes victims of natural disasters (storms, earthquakes), amp; human disasters (war, famine) * Points system – what are points given for? Who does it apply to? Education: High School, University/college (diploma, bachelor, doctorate, master’s degree)_______________Economic * Language ability: English/French (high/moderate/basic/no

Cutting the OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) :: essays research papers

CUTTING THE OSINT The main problem with cutting back or eliminating any intelligence gathering discipline is the possible problem of the loss of information that can be utilized to derive intelligence. All information that can be collected should be gathered, processed, and disseminated to the all-source fusion agency in order to completely draw the best picture of an investigated situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the latter half of the twentieth century a burst of electronic technology occurred and developed an astounding amount of information via the Internet that is growing with more information by the minute. Most of the information that is publicly available is gathered by a resource known as open-source intelligence (OSINT). Due to budget cutting and having to eliminate one â€Å"INT†, the OSINT must be considered for the following reasons. One of the main problems with OSINT is that there is so much information; it is sometimes difficult to figure out what to collect and what not to collect. An analyst trying to scan through the tons of data in order to find quality information for a request can spend hours trapped in research. Albeit, the Internet is not the only tool available to an OSINT analyst, the majority of other information can be found somewhere on the world-wide-web via electronic city maps, business web sites, etc. This leads to the next point of availability to everyone. The analysts from the other disciplines; HUMINT, SIGINT, IMINT, and MASINT, most certainly have the Internet available. Many times there is not a need to put in a request for an OSINT analyst to research out information that is readily available to an analyst. The time that it takes an analyst from the HUMINT, SIGINT, IMINT, MASINT, or an all-source fusion agency to put in a request to an OSINT analyst and place a product on pause is not practical. Time could be better spent conducting the research within the INT or all-source fusion entity and thus bringing a more favorable result in the information found. Many times information disseminated from other INTs to an all-source fusion agency can be the wrong information, or the consumer could also be asking the wrong request for information from the OSINT analyst. If each analyst conducts the research, there is no doubt as to whether the question is answered correctly or not. This can eliminate the process of having to conduct double work on the same request and save more time and money overall.

Teachers: Unsung Heroes of the World

DEDICATION * * * This reflection paper is dedicated to the unsung heroes of the world—TEACHERS; To all morally upright and just individuals whose sense of integrity and humility are rooted deeply within them; To Mr. Books who never fails to inspire me with his words and wisdom; To my parents and my mentor, EXPERIENCE, for making me understand at an early age the essentialities of life here on earth; And to my Creator, You are beyond the superlative degree of adjective. You are the Minerva and the hair of Samson in my life. You have always been there leading me along the path that I have chosen! I salute you all! – K. A. P. C. * * * Introduction The writing technique that I used in this paper was a little different than those that I have written before, specifically during my undergraduate studies. In here, I made use of chapters instead of uninterrupted, paragraph by paragraph account. The reason is as simple yet complicated as to how a raindrop is able to produce rainbow with different colors from a single beam of sunlight or how a prism bends white light into different colors. As to this paper, each chapter reflects the unforeseeable and offensive truths that The Story of Teddy Stoddard implies, which are often hard to swallow by many people maybe because of pride or blindness. These paper includes both reactions and reflections. Commonly as it has always been, the story of Teddy Stoddard was no different with a lot of movies that I have watched and stories that I have read and heard before—all of which had communicated the same genre as the former. It is but an ordinary ripped page, no rarity or unfathomable terminologies, existing behind the great literary masterpieces of the world. But with its simple approach and language to whomever the reader may be, paired with its emotional quality, is like one of my favorite movies—Titanic. I can watch it over and over and cry to my hearts’ content time and again. On a profound understanding of the story, I was able to nod my head as each word of the story mumbled deeply within me as if letting me know that there is more to teaching as there is more to life. The story does not only happen in real-life teaching where some teachers tend to act like Mrs. Thompson but as well as in many other fields of profession and even in congregation of ordinary people. Let me discuss first, in a broader perspective, the story’s implication to human and life before I discuss the minutest details of its implication to the teaching profession and to me as a teacher. Chapter 1 Myths of the World Ever wonder why the world is becoming evil? Or why in spite of many sound philosophies and theories of education the world continues to move forward to its downfall? Why almost all men, especially educated men, are more foolish than a beggar on the street? Simple. A beggar is the happiest man in the world when somebody drops a coin in front of him, but to a man who knows a thing, a coin will do him no good unless that coin happens to be gold. We only worry on things that concern us or have direct effects in our lives. Those that do not seem to matter in their diminutive, powerless forms are taken for granted—consider Teddy’s case for instance. Nero, Alexander the Great, Hitler, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Hussein, Bin Laden and many others who are like them—weren’t these men, who had been leaders of their own dominions, able to earn a degree in college? Unfortunately, none of them was able to show genuine compassion towards their subjects, was able to leave something behind that future generations can make use of. It is not very often that people thank Hitler or Hussein for what he did because not many are born with mental retardation. (But of course, Teddy’s gratefulness to Mrs. Thompson was a different matter. ) It is very obvious to notice that only a few people in the past —Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa, Ghandhi, Mandela, and others—were able to show what real compassion means. As for Einstein, he’s a genius. Yet there is a fine line between genius and insanity. Had he only made use of his common sense, world leaders of today will stop accusing each other on issues about the use of nuclear weapons. Einstein’s actions were enough proofs that, even to genius, common sense is not very common. Thus, our first myth is: Not everything that glitters is gold. 1 Even other metals or â€Å"rusty† metals can reflect light and can have shiny appearance if furnished well. What and whom am I talking about? Find it out The Story of Teddy Stoddard. When I heard the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death, I did not believe it in an instant. What if it were a mere propaganda of Obama’s administration? What if Bin Laden’s look-alike were the one who got killed? Or did he really have a look-alike? From the book that I find no time to finish reading, entitled The Road Less Traveled, Scott Peck discussed what he termed as scientific tunnel vision—that is, according to him, â€Å"patients [people] are able to see only a very narrow area directly in front of them. They cannot see anything to the left or to the right, above or below their narrow focus. † I would strongly agree that, too often, a lot of people in this world, including I, have this kind of vision. We find it too difficult to look beyond the surface of things. Our perception of the world is no more than skin deep or subjective like that of Mrs. Thompson’s. Thus, the second myth is to see is too believe. 2 We are realists or materialists most of the time in the sense that what we see is independent to what we think. An object continues to exist independently of the mind. Mrs. Thompson were aware of the presence of Teddy. He comes to school, takes exams, et cetera. Yet, Mrs. Thompson ignored to use her mental faculty to the most logical and sensible manner that she could to diagnose the problem of Teddy. It’s like when a man and a woman were seen by somebody moving out a motel. It is not hard to imagine what would immediately come in the mind of the observer. It is a prejudice akin to judging the book because of its worn-out cover. Having been explained that ‘seeing is believing’ is not always reliable, it is to be rejected. What we hear or see is not what we should always believe in. At times, we need to be idealists. There are times when we need to be rationalists, or skeptics or moralists, so on and so forth. There are even times when we need to be generalists. Remember this overused line: â€Å"Together we stand, divided we fall†? Adopting only one philosophy in life is discriminatory but it surely will lead us somewhere although our vision will be much like that of a tunnel. As for me, too much is enough. If these â€Å"too much† ideas being introduced to us at any given time anywhere in the world will solve human strife, it should have started a long time ago. Sadly, it did not. Sometimes, I feel disoriented into thinking how men, through the ages, are able to move forward, leaving the world behind at its deterioration. Or how a teacher is to be promoted whose responsibilities to his pupils he failed to accomplish. Nonetheless, everything comes and goes, and all that remain are unfinished businesses. At the end of the day, when exhaustion from every day work pays me a visit, I just sit and try to remember one thing that I learned from The Little Prince: â€Å"What is essential is ‘invisible’ to the eye. † It amazed me how Mrs. Thompson was able to realize her mistake and was able to understand the concept of â€Å"invisibility† on the latter part of the story. He that never changed any of his opinions never corrected any of his mistakes; and he who was never wise enough to find out any mistakes in himself will not be charitable enough to excuse what he reckons mistakes in others. † -Shakespeare- No matter how intelligent, how good, how rich or how respected a person is, it is an undeniable fact that he often commits false accusations and hypotheses. It’s our n ature as humans. Even philosophers and men of God cannot escape this inevitable â€Å"offense† because whatever their beliefs are, they too, commit mistakes. Luckily, we can bail out of this â€Å"offense† because of Alexander Pope who once wrote metaphorically, â€Å"To err is human. . . † but it didn’t just end there. He further added, â€Å"To forgive divine. † Thus, forgiveness itself cures mistakes. But there is an exemption: Laws are created because not every mistake can be excused by a simple sorry. Here comes the concept of pride. From this, the third myth arises: â€Å"Everybody can forgive†. Why is that? The sentence seems to be lacking. Nobody forgives unless he forgets. We will remain prisoners of our own hatred unless we forgive and forget. But doing both things is as hard as judging oneself. The good things about the story were Mrs. Thompson’s humility as a teacher to correct what she had done wrong and Teddy’s disregard of anger towards Mrs. Thompson. In all of these things that I have written, one thing in life, for sure, is universal that applies to all men: We see unrighteousness when we are right; we do not see righteousness when we are wrong and, there is no such thing as â€Å"between right and wrong†. It is a necessity , therefore, to evaluate ourselves continuously. It might appear as a science-related issue as to how Mrs. Thompson metamorphosed from unrighteousness to righteousness. An â€Å"ugly caterpillar† once she might had been, she later transformed into a â€Å"beautiful butterfly† who was able to touch the life of a unique wild flower named Teddy. Thus, we can never tell what type of impact we may have on another's life by our actions or lack of actions. Whatever and whoever we are, let us not stop remembering that the best gift we could give or receive is touching a life and making a difference on someone’s life. As Gandhi said: â€Å"We must become the change we want to see in the world. â€Å" So the last myth is: Butterflies are beautiful to look at especially on their colors. It’s a paradox. Why? Because a butterfly is a camouflage of a caterpillar that it once had been. A caterpillar can live without being a butterfly, but it is impossible that a butterfly will appear without being a caterpillar. The underlying fact about it is that it CHANGES—from ugliness to beauty (like Mrs. Thompson). Same principle applies to humans. But most of the time, the reverse happens. â€Å"Are we caterpillars who get fat by obtaining nourishment from leaves until they finally run out r are we butterflies who add beauty to flowers every time we perch on them? † -Kristel- Like a butterfly, each of us has/had bones in our closet and we act according to norms as a camouflage of our little â€Å"secrets†. True? Hell, right! Freud was a genius with his concept of id, ego and super ego! â€Å"All humans have behavioral problems. A person with behavioral problem is not normal. If you’re normal, then you’re not human. † (Kristel, 2011) Chapter II â€Å"What Does It Take To Be Human? † In light of my twenty-one years of existence, the world has shown and taught me so much that it can offer. Though most of the time, asking how and why things behave in ways I cannot understand is like dragging myself into a labyrinth. My own logic often convinces me that doing such a thing is just putting myself into a dilemma. People and books can give answers but their answers often lead to another chapter which makes it become very obvious that life really is an indecipherable puzzle. A lot of life’s opportunities, difficulties, persons who are dear to me have come and gone in my life—opportunities that caused me to have regrets, challenges that taught me the importance of humility and loved ones who made me cry. Through all of these I realized that whether we take life seriously or not, it has never been easy to take. Life is difficult and it will always be that way. But once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters. Life, aside from its being difficult, is finite as well. This is the greatest truth in the world. Because of this truth, we, humans, have tried everything to outdo earth’s rotation by shortening ten years of men’s consistent labor to its half. This was made possible because the birth of industrialization gave humans the need to invent. Destiny dictated our triumphs. But is it a triumph or a failure that the birth of machineries is able to overpower Time? The answer is evident. Because of our obsession to change the world, we forget to change our attitudes. I guess the reason why a lot of people, specifically people in the past who often â€Å"defy† and critique norms, die poorly and unlamented is not because their beliefs are right but because society’s attitude towards them and their attitudes towards society fail to have a point of tangency (like in Geometry) thereby they are excluded in the â€Å"system†. Human weakness is power and too often, as power strengthens esponsibility weakens (in Physics, it is termed as inverse proportionality). Spider Man said: â€Å"Great power comes great responsibility† but when one is greater than the other, there arises masters and slaves. After I read The Story of Teddy Stoddard, I came into deep deliberation of what it takes to be human and trust me, I do not know if people would agree, for we all have our own way of thinking, that to be human is to become conscious that we are not in power to rule but we are responsible to serve. This would be more realistic if action would speak louder than words. CHAPTER III What Does It Take To Be Teachers? First and foremost, teaching had never been in my list of one-of-many things that I dreamt of doing someday. Well, truthfully, I believe that none of them really have been brought into realization. My first love was architecture but my true love is writing. Life really is not everything. Things that we do not expect happen as if they were to tap our backs to say â€Å"Hey, learn from us! †. When I was just a little girl, though living was as tough as it is now, I was always wondering what I would be someday. First, I dreamed of becoming a teacher. I was in grade school then when I thought of it. My sister and I used to pretend that we were teachers. We used to write on a mini chalkboard that our mum bought for us using varied colors of chalk. I have always been the one pretending as teacher and she was my pupil. As years past, when I finally entered fifth grade, I thought of becoming a journalist instead. My classmates often think of becoming like that so I decided to do the same. The feeling was similar when at one time I terribly ached for sweet candy because my playmate happened to have one. Things happened too swiftly before I realized that I was already a high school student. A year before my senior year, I was so sure of taking architecture in college. I discovered that I have a talent in designing houses and decorating their interiors. It has always been my passion to draw houses and appreciate the beauty of them whenever I go to places. It was on my last year in high school when I wished of becoming a writer and at the same an architect, and a teacher, and . . . and . . . well, I wasn’t quite sure right on that very moment. I lost my momentum. Perhaps I have been so engrossed of thinking over what I would be like. It was like trying to become ten different persons all at once though I knew that I was just an average. I mean, I was just a nobody way back in high school and up until now. Thin. Pimpled face. Shy. Unpopular. Out-of-style. Hermit. And other disgusting adjectives that one would happily attach to my name. I found that my previous ‘detention centers’ were too tight and were ‘pains’ in my ass. College life was different. I found freedom, comfort, appreciation, and friendship. I have the difficulty liking my course because I was forced to take it. I mean, nobody forced me to. It was I, myself. During that time, I feel like there’s nothing else to choose from so I took it anyway. My parents were not able to send me to prestigious college or university in the city because of lack of money. Architecture was, thus, forgotten. But in spite of that, I was learning wonderful things each day in college. I was beginning to be comfortable with the new environment and the people around. But I still could not accept the fact that I would soon be graduating despising the course that I have taken. But, but . . . things really happen for a reason, you know. God has His way of sending blessings in disguise. Even though I failed to fulfill my greatest dream, I somehow feel that I am leading on the right track though too often a few destructions shake my momentum. Sometimes I think that God put me into this profession because He wants me to learn and unlearn things in life. Or why I took the life that a few people in the world would buy. Or why I am making life difficult when on the other side is a greener pasture to walk on. Mother understands me for the decision that I have made, though father is not as understanding as her. I know that deep within them they want to see in me the daughter that they wanted me to be —happy, the one that would take them out of poverty, earning a much higher salary, self confident, and candid. I do not know. All I know is that when we hold on to our principle, we will be like a tree fixed on the ground—full of nourishment to give away yet never moving forward up to its death. Up to this day, I as well do not know the reason why I teach until I read The Story of Teddy Stoddard. I admire Mrs. Thompson because she was able to make a big difference on Teddy’s life. Someday, I wish I could do the same thing not only by being a teacher but by being human on this planet that I am living in. Now that I’m in the teaching profession, I am beginning to realize what it’s like to be human and to be a teacher. Some people may raise their brows on us making us feel so sick, others may say bad things about us as if they had never been bad all their lives. As for me, humility really matters. Within the four months of being in my line of work, I can say that there is more to teaching than meets the eye. Teaching is difficult. So far, it is what I can say. Difficult to the point that aside from everyday teaching, I meet a lot of people with different personalities wherein sometimes a person who doesn’t know how to control emotions or does not comprehend right from wrong may probably just burst out. Thank God, I am learning a lot with people who are as imperfect as I am. (Am I this bad Sorry. Hehehe! Peace! I’m not just in good mood today. OOO) I guess you have heard someone said: â€Å"Politics is not dirty. The ones who make it dirty are the people involved in it. † Same thing happens in teaching even with Mother Earth, but I do not want to discuss it further. For crying out loud, I am too judgmental! Peace every one! I, too, make mistakes! A lot of moral lessons can be taken from the story. I am beginning to have an extraordinary motivation to write as many pages as I can though my time is running out (it’s not that I’m going to die soon . . . L. O. L! just busy). I believe that there are many Mrs. Thompson in the world who transformed from being caterpillars to being butterflies. Some may even remain as caterpillars. I, well, I do not know what I am. Sometimes I am a caterpillar, sometimes a butterfly. I cannot run away from being a caterpillar especially when anger hits me. Anger is a state of mind. How can I escape from anger without losing my mind? But I am the type of person who, most of the time, does not speak out what I want to say (In teaching, we must be careful with the command of language. Everyone has his own interpretations). As an escape, (heheh) I write everything down on a sheet of paper. At least, through it, there’s an indirect communication. I can even delete words that seem not quite good to the reader. It’s not because I want to please everybody because that is hypocrisy. It’s just that people will not be satisfied unless they have scrutinized every inch of us. If enough were not enough, trust me, scrutiny won’t end. (What am I doing right now? Am I not scrutinizing? L. O. L! OOO) From time to time, we must weigh things up. We are never always right neither always wrong. Acceptance is a key to a contented and harmonious living. The Story of Teddy Stoddard tackles the concept of acceptance. In connection to teaching, a lot of teachers say, and too often I try to agree, that once we are in the system, we have to face facts, to accept things as they are. No but’s, but that’s how the world works. Many people have tried to reverse its working, but they all ended being ridiculed and condemned. What’s the relevance of all these things that I’ve written into taking Master’s degree units? I do not know, but one thing for sure is I know: as I continue learning, I am ‘knowing more and more about less and less’. It’s a cliche, but literally cleared my mind up (deep sigh). . . Thanks be to God! You’re my everything! Chapter IV Insights Gained From Mrs. Thompson and Teddy: Relevance to My Growth as a Teacher and as a Person Today, teaching for me is perceived as art with passion. It has its intricacies that a truly devoted and passionate individual can only see. It is mastered so as to get the best out of the worst from the learner. It is not merely an act of inculcating ideas to young learners that may turn these young individuals to become mere copycats of the indoctrinator. Asking thought provoking questions elicits active and creative reasoning. Teaching is not telling the individual the what’s, the why’s, and the how’s of life. Teaching is just giving the learner facts that will guide him to find the answers for himself. â€Å"Teach with passion,† this I heard several times from a former teacher. Love to teach. Be passionate. Let the child feels you are a part of the process. With your guidance he will discover the facts of life. Be enthusiastic in teaching no matter how insignificant the topic may be. Passion and love for teaching make one an effective teacher. No amount of master’s degrees can equal a committed teacher who has loved to teach and has mastered the art of teaching. It is not in the amount of accolades or recognition a teacher received that define success. It is through the eyes of these young minds that benefited from your guidance. A tyrant teacher is remembered indifferently but a good teacher is admired forever. We pass this life only once. Leave an impact so others may continue the work started like what Mrs. Thompson did! Chapter V My Philosophy in Life My philosophy in life is simple: Life itself is a philosophy. Never take it easy. *** End â€Å"It is hard to fill a cup which is already full. † â€Å"A little learning is a dangerous thing: -Mother of Neyteri, Avatar- Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers us again. † -Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism

Philosophy Of Islamic Banking Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1448 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? A banking system that isÂÂ  based onÂÂ  the principles of Islamic law (also known Sharia) and guided by Islamic economics is known as Islamic banking. Two basic principles behind Islamic bankingÂÂ  are the sharing of profit and loss and, significantly,ÂÂ  the prohibition of the collection and payment of interest. Economic justice requires a viable economic system supported by an efficient banking system. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Philosophy Of Islamic Banking Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Interest based banking has proved to be inefficient as it fails to equitably distribute wealth which is necessary for the well-being of manking.On the other hand Islamic banking is efficent and ensures equitable distribution of wealth thus laying foundation for an inflation free economy and socially responsible banking.(The global finance crises,M.Kabir Hassan.) Objections Mr.Saqib Omer Saeed says When people come across such Islamic banking products as Ijarah or lease, they wonder if its the same that which a conventional bank offers. If we look closely Ijarah Muntahiya (Islamic Leasing Product) is very similar to the finance lease provided by a conventional financial institution, except the difference of the insurance cost (Takaful / Islamic Insurance) which has to be borne by theÂÂ  lesseeÂÂ  in the Islamic mode and it is built in the rentals. Another objection is the use of intrest rates as a benchmarking. Another objection against Islamic Banks is regarding their transactions with commercial banks including how some commercial banks have opened up Islamic banking branches. It makes one wonder whether the money being used in such transactions is free of interest or not? Reservations Some users of islamic financial services says that islamic banking is only a change name for conventional banking.Because they charge fee to the loan they give out which is equal to the interest that other commercial bank charge.That is why islamic banking appears to operate and give the similar type of return that conventional bank does to the people. Evaluation of objections and reservations Banking is such a sector which not only rules the economy of a community but a country well. The comparison to this effect makes the researcher more clear and Islamic scholars more informed about interest and its applications in the formal banking sector. The formal banking practices and the interest prohibitions if put in comparison can guide the bankers to develop a system to some extent free from interest. Interest has been very extensively applicable in the society its a new term regarding financing by lending. Financing by lending takes two shapes i) loans with service charges and ii) Qarz-e-Hasana. The names are popular in Islamic society but the conventions in banking takes the shapes which are not normally acceptable to the Islamic society.(Interest free economy model,M.Arif.March,2012). Philosophy of Islamic banking. ÂÂ  The philosophy of Islamic banking is derived from Islamic Shariah.According to Islamic Shariah, Islamic banking cannot deal in transactions involvingÂÂ  interest/riba (an increase created or sought over the principal of a loan or debt). ÂÂ  Further, they cannot deal in the transactions having the element of risky sale. Moreover, they cannot deal in any transaction, the subject matter of which isÂÂ  invalid (haram in the eyes of Islam). Islamic banks focus on generating returnsÂÂ  through investment tools which are Shariah compliant as well. Islamic Shariah linksÂÂ  the gain on capital with its performance. Operating within the principles of Shariah, the operations of Islamic banking are based on sharing the risk which may arise through trading and investment activities using contracts of various Islamic modes of finance.(Burj Bank limited ,july 27 ,2011). Development The Islamic banking system is currently spreading fast through many Arab andMuslim countries. The success of this new system is indicated by the rapid growth innumber of banks, branches, accounts, and sums of money it handles. This enormoussuccess has caused some Western style commercial banks, in Sudan for example, toconsider changing to the Islamic banking system. It is also drawing the attention of thegovernments of some Muslim countries to seriously supporting the system. (B.A Bashir, Successful development of Islamic bank). Areas of operations The areas of operatons of Islamic banks are as follows Non fund based transactions Non fund based transaction are those in which there is no outlay of funds or the transaction of funds is not involve.For all practicle purposes Islamic bank transact non fund based business and provide all of its services against approprate fee and charges.Here the assurance is given by the bank if the principle party defaults the bank is liable to pay to beneficiary. Investment activities The Islamic bank prepare savings, investment and other financial resources and also participate in providing equity and funds to entities like joint stock companies working under the Islamic banks. Some most commonly used modes of financing are Murahaba; In a murabaha transaction, the bank finances the purchase of a good or asset by buying it on behalf of its client and adding a mark-up before re-selling it to the client on a cost-plus basis. Musharakah; It means a joint enterprise in which all the partners share the profit and loss of the joint venture. Baimuajjal; Islamic banks have also been resorting to purchase and resale of properties on a deferred payment basis, which is termed bai muajjal. It is considered lawful in fiqh (jurisprudence) to charge a higher price for a good if payments are to be made at a later date. Leasing or ijara; is also frequently practised by Islamic banks. Under this mode, the banks would buy the equipment or machinery and lease it out to their clients who may buy the items eventually, in which case the monthly payments will consist of two components, i.e., rental for the use of the equipment and instalment towards the purchase price.(M.Arif, University of Malaya, sep 1988). 3) Social activities The Holay Quran says If you loan to Allah a beautiful loan, He will double it to your credit (64:17) The Quran calls on all its followers to care for and support the poor and needy peoples. Islamic financial institutions are expected to provide special services to those in need. This is not confined to mere charitable donations but has also been institutionalised in the industry in the form of profit-free loans or Al Quard Al Hasan. An Islamic banks business includes certain social projects, as well as charitable donations. Islamic banks provide profit-free loans. For example, if an individual needs to go to hospital or wants to go to university, we give what is called Quard Al Hasan. This Quard Hasan is normally given for a short period of one year and the Islamic bank does not charge anything for that. (AL Burka bank). Financing under profit and loss sharing system The profit-and-loss sharing system has its roots in the ancient form of financing practiced by Arabs since long before the advent of Islam. After the introduction of Islam, this system was permitted to continue and was consider right as a finance instrument. For this historical reason, scholars consider profit-and-loss sharing financial instruments to be the most real and most promising form of Islamic contracts (Ariff, 1982). Mudaraba (finance trusteeship) and Musharaka (equity partnership)are two such financial instruments based on the profit-and-loss sharing system, where instead of lending money to an entrepreneur at a fixed rate of return, the financier shares in the ventures profits and losses.In this mode of financing the risks and losses are shared by the financer along with the enterpreneur in the ratio of their respective capitals while the profits are shared in an agreed ratio.(The Economist 2001). Potential of Islamic banking Islamic world has a tremendous potentials.It has about 20% of the world population and as much of its land mass.It produces half of the worlds oil and accounts for 40% of world export of raw material.The establishment of islamic banks is a recent phenomena and in short period of time ,over 100 islamic banks and financial instutions have been established in throughout the world. Recommendations To deliver top quality service to ensure that service standard of Islamic banking institutions isat par with conventional banking institutions. Aggressive marketing must be made in order to ensure that Islamic banking reaches the highest point in quickest possible time. The conflicting confusion and doubts must be removed from the mind of a general customer. Islamic banking rules should be uniform worldwide. Conclusion Dont find Islam in Islamic Banking. Implement Islam on youself then your economy to banking shall automatically be Islamic. The more we emphasize on the Islamization of Islamic banking, the more we will need to have an Islamic economy and the more we would want an Islamic economy, the more we will have to be good Muslims in all aspects of our society.